UFC 139's Wanderlei Silva knows room for future errors are slim

Fans of Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1 MMA, 4-6 UFC) – and by the reception he got this past Saturday, there are legions of them – both breathed a sign of relief and cheered when he rebounded from a shaky first round against Cung Le (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) to earn a TKO in the second.

It was Silva’s last chance to make good in the octagon. He knew it, the fans knew it, and UFC president Dana White had, in so many words, told him so.

But despite the triumphant victory, the stakes haven’t much changed for “The Axe Murderer” moving forward. He knows that another slip could mean the end of his UFC career.

“If that performance was like my last performance, it was done,” Silva admitted after the fight, which took place at San Jose, Calif.’s HP Pavilion in the co-main event of UFC 139. “I know the sport has no more space for fails.”

Silva, of course, was referring to a 27-second knockout loss he suffered against Chris Leben at UFC 132, which cast serious doubt on his ability to continue fighting. After that heartbreaking setback, Silva said he had no plans on calling it quits. But after his come-from-behind win, he acknowledged that he didn’t have the ultimate say on his octagon career.

“We fight in the best event in the world,” he said. “I know the responsibility to be here. They have space just for the best guys in the world. No more space for fails.”

It’s a harsh reality that a fighter so accomplished could be reduced to the status of at-will employee, but White reiterated a belief that was made stronger by the decline of his friend and former client, UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, who suffered multiple knockouts at the tail end of his career. For White, continuing to promote a fighter past his prime is not the money he wants to make.

“I just don’t want to see anybody get hurt,” the executive told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “That’s all I care about. When you get to a point, and I’m no doctor, but when you get to a point where you start getting knocked out on a regular basis…that’s it, man. I don’t want to see that any more.

“Wanderlei’s a warrior and he’s been around forever. People love him and he’s been great to us and to the sport, and I’m not going to have that stuff happen. And people can disagree with me…go start your own organization. I’m not going to see these guys stick around past their prime.”

Did White not enjoy watching a legend such as Silva triumph over Le?

“He looked good tonight against a guy who came in to finish him,” White said. “Cung Le went after it. The one thing I noticed after the first round, and I tweeted about it, was Wanderlei’s body from the kicks. He was getting hit with some nasty kicks. His back, his arms, everything. Wanderlei stayed in there and finished the fight and looked awesome.

“I’m happy for him. I’m happy to have him here.”

Silva now stands at a dicey 3-4 since he migrated from PRIDE to the UFC as a crown jewel of the now-defunct promotion’s stable. At 35 years old, he’s competed in 47 MMA fights over the course of 15 years. Recently, he said he’d like to match Randy Couture’s age-defying run in the sport, though that wish seems hopelessly unrealistic given his current run.

But for now, Silva is still pushing forward, and still thrilling fans.

“My last fight, it’s embarrassing for me that I lost like that,” he said. “Thanks so much for believing in me.”

For full coverage of UFC 139, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.
(Pictured: Wanderlei Silva)

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